Professional Mentoring Programme

Inspire Potential; Awaken Possibility

Apply to be a mentor
Student application

Please email Mentoring.careers@plymouth.ac.uk to apply.

To apply log into myCareer
Click on the 'Pathway' tab
Find latest Mentoring Programme Pathway
Sign up or find out more

Welcome to the Professional Mentoring Programme

The Professional Mentoring programme matches students with a Professional Mentor – individuals from industry, alumni, non-alumni, staff members – all giving their time and knowledge to support students both undergraduate and postgraduate at the University of Plymouth. The programme is only open to current students at the University. You must be studying throughout the entirety of the programme. Unfortunately if you apply but graduate before the programme starts you will not be accepted.

Students and Mentors work together over six months with four contact points. These contact points can be face to face, telephone calls, email conversations or via an online platform such as Skype or Microsoft Teams.

Have questions? Unsure if this is for you? Drop-ins and information sessions can be found on the appointment calendar on myCareer.

Who can apply?

Applications are open to all students in all undergraduate years. For postgraduate students the Mentoring Programme is only open to students who are studying postgraduate taught and masters courses only. Unfortunately this is not open to postgraduate research courses.

Priority matching will go to students who fall under the following groups in keeping with the University’s Widening Participation Strategic statement; care leavers, students with disabilities, mature students, black and ethnic minority students and low participation neighbourhoods to ensure we offer a full supportive package. Secondary matching will then to go all other applicants who have not been on the programme before.

What do I gain as a student?

"The mentoring programme has been an excellent opportunity to network with a potential future employer and gain valuable advice while also developing my employability skills along the way."

Caroline Millan – BSc (Hons) Marine Biology

"My experience has been very informative, it has played a key role in the development as a student and helped prepare me for my transition to the workplace."

Jacob Hughes – BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering

"I enjoyed having the connection with a knowledgeable person who could relate to my current situations and help guide me and give me information to face the near future with more confidence."

Jennifer Matcham – BSc (Hons) Psychology

Nina Franck, Franckly Ltd.

Why be a mentor?

"You enter the programme hoping to give something back – to the university, to the students... but in actual fact, you end up gaining more!"

Colin Entwistle, Sulmara Subsea

"The University of Plymouth mentoring programme was so rewarding by seeing mentees gain more clarity and trust in their own skills and feel ready to take on the next steps in their career path."

Nina Franck, Franckly Ltd.

Feedback from our participants

Ivanna Odle and her mentor, Megan Pearce

"The Professional Mentoring Programme of 2020–2021 has been a life-changing experience for me. As a final year student, I thought it would be very useful to have a mentor who I could talk to about my next steps, but the experience surpassed my expectations. My mentor walked me through her personal experiences on her professional journey and provided me with practical tips and tricks she had learnt along the way."
Ivanna Odle, BSc (Hons) Environmental Science

"I first joined the programme to give back to the University and Careers Service. Each year I continue to grow in confidence delivering the mentoring sessions and understand the value I can give to my mentee. Recognising and reflecting on your own achievements and setbacks is an important part of life, and if you can share these lessons with others, you have the opportunity to guide them in the right direction or, perhaps more importantly, let them know they are not alone."
Megan Pearce, mentor with the Met Office

Mentee benefits | Professional Mentoring Programme

Find out about the benefits of joining the Professional Mentoring Programme and working with a professional in industry to explore your career goals and personal development.

Being a Mentor | Professional Mentoring Programme

Find out about the benefits of joining the Professional Mentoring Programme and supporting one of our students in their future career.

Mentoring timelines

The Professional Mentoring Programme will be running two strands in the next cycle, please read carefully the dates below.

Further support

PMP1

Applications open: 12 April 2021
Applications close: 15 October 2021

Student training days:

18–22 and 25–29 October 2021

You will be expected to attend 1 session within these dates.

Mentor training dates:

This will be a virtual event held on:

26 October 09:00–10:30
27 October 17:30–19:00
1 November 17:00–18:30
3 November 13:00–14:30

Start of programme:

8 November 2021

Meet your mentor:

This will be virtual event held on:

8 November 17:00–18:30
11 November 17:00–18:30
16 November 17:30–19:00
17 November 17:30–19:00
23 November 18:00–19:30
26 November 17:30–19:00

End of programme:

30 April 2022

PMP2

Applications open: 1 October 2021
Applications close: 31 December 2021

Student training days:

24–28 January and 31 January–4 February 2022

You will be expected to attend 1 session within these dates.

Mentor training dates (location TBC):

7 February 17:00–18:30
8 February 18:00–19:30
9 February 16:30–18:00
10 February 09:00–10:30

Start of programme:

Start 14 February

Meet your mentor (location TBC):

15 February 17:00–18:30
17 February 17:00–18:30
21 February 18:00–19:30
23 February 18:00–19:30

End of programme:

31 July 2022

Any questions?

If you have any questions or queries please contact Annette Goddard, Student Engagement Officer, and Melanie Jones, Student Engagement Administrator.

Email: mentoring.careers@plymouth.ac.uk

Linkedin

Drop-in and information sessions can be found on myCareer